Visual Explorations of Jazz Improvisations

[Robert J]

This is a new one to me.

You'd need a large printer to print this poster, but fun to look at

All blues solo analysis

[Spontooneous]

Looks like this "Adderley" character needs to settle down. He's nowhere near as organized and efficient as this "Coltrane" fellow.

Meanwhile, this "Davis" needs to get with the program and put some pep in his step. There is far too much wasted space here.

(Wonder how the Evans solo would look?)

Edited January 4, 2006 by Spontooneous

[ep1str0phy]

(Wonder how the Evans solo would look?)

Squiggles, I think. But I could be wrong.

[Kalo]

Fascinating.

I wonder how Sidney Bechet would appear. Or Ben Webster. Johnny Hodges!

How about Ellington or Monk?

I'd love to see how they'd picture Cecil Taylor. Or Albert Ayler!

[ep1str0phy]

Really, all of this information could be surmised through a careful examination of the recordings (or transcriptions, for ease of purpose). It looks remarkably pretty--and useful, in a way, for examining particular components of the improvisers' solos (e.g., use of space)--but, strangely, far less comprehensive than what can be purchased at your local sheet music shop. Additionally, this sort of analysis runs the risk of vastly oversimplifying the players in question, granted that all of the relevant information is broken up (this fails to examine, for example, the integration of melody/space and harmony, (again) all of which can be found elsewhere, but--really--isn't that some of the most interesting stuff?). All of it can be instructive, but it's smoke-and-mirrors--nothing really mindblowing. Of course, I'm stating the obvious.

Seriously. Do Cecil Taylor.

Edited January 5, 2006 by ep1str0phy

[JSngry]

What's cool is where, in Forces In Motion, Braxton analyzes Warne Marsh's melodic contours.

[casanovas347]

mmh.....and what is the point? I listen to music and sometimes i catch their stories....sometimes not...and sometimes it put me into some special mood.....its this worth to analize whats going on on that point....i guess not!

Trane tells the story in another way than Miles, but i like 'em both cause it sounded like to different stories to me! .....i like those spontaneous moments in life and music!

[Nate Dorward]

What's cool is where, in Forces In Motion, Braxton analyzes Warne Marsh's melodic contours.

Even cooler: on the Leo Coventry set, Braxton sings Marsh's solo on "The Song Is You".

[JSngry]

What's cool is where, in Forces In Motion, Braxton analyzes Warne Marsh's melodic contours.

Even cooler: on the Leo Coventry set, Braxton sings Marsh's solo on "The Song Is You".

And then there's that video of him singing Konitz' solo on the same cut back to Lee. Lee's got a "WTF?!?!?!" look on his face that is priceless.

[Kalo]

Are these videos available to the average schmo??

[DTMX]

Are these videos available to the average schmo??

The Braxton-singing-to-Konitz video is part of this one: Woodstock Jazz Fest (1981). Also includes a performance by Baikida Carroll ("Left Jab") with Julius Hemphill, Marilyn Crispell and maybe Ed Blackwell in the band.

[clifford_thornton]

Actually, French pianist Francois Tusques is working on a series of visual diagrams of Monk's music. It's referred to in a recent AAJ article on Francois, worth a look if yr interested. I have seen the diagrams and they are absolutely beautiful.

Also, graphic scores - though really telling you more about the composed angle than the improvised - are often wonderful visual ways of conceptualizing a piece. In jazz, if you look at the scores of Cecil's music, or for that matter Alexander von Schlippenbach's Globe Unity diagrams, it is really beautiful stuff.

Edited January 14, 2006 by clifford_thornton

[Guest]

I don't think this stuff would help me play better.

Checking the parent directory I found a related artical.

http://www.sims.berkeley.edu:8000/courses/...roViz_CHI05.pdf